A new program began this quarter that grants eligible veterans seeking graduate and professional degrees a 50 percent tuition reduction. The UW Board of Regents approved the move last month, expanding a program from 2004 that grants undergraduate veterans the same tuition waivers.

Those qualifying for the waiver are veterans and members of the National Guard who served or worked in support of a war, as well as children and spouses of veterans who were disabled or lost their lives while engaged in active duty.

Before the amendment was approved, the waiver only applied to veterans and members of the National Guard who were pursuing undergraduate degrees.

Diane Hanks, assistant director of UW business services and business affairs, described an amendment presented to the regents that allows veterans who have not received a previous veteran tuition waiver to be eligible. The amendment was presented by Phyllis Wise, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, and Gary Quarforth, associate vice provost of planning and budgeting.

"A number of the students at UW who are veterans or members of the Washington National Guard who have served in a combat zone, are graduate or professional students rather than undergraduate students," wrote representatives of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee in their proposal to the UW regents. The Graduate and Professional Student Senate also played a large role in getting the legislation passed.

Veterans must be considered eligible by the federal government to participate in the program. The GI Bill, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, gives veterans a small tuition and living allowance while they are pursuing higher education.

"The GI Bill is generally underutilized," senior Brent Apgar said. "Something like only 10 percent of the people who are eligible actually use it."

Apgar, a naval veteran studying material science and engineering, said having the tuition reduction available helps him financially, so he can use the GI Bill for living costs such as rent, food and healthcare.

Senior Sean Conto, who served in the army for about seven years, is another recipient of the undergraduate waiver. Conto served mostly on Korean and Japanese soil, and now he plans on completing his degree in East Asia studies this year.

He believes the waiver helps veterans both financially and academically.

"Veterans can successfully complete school without having to go into debt," he said. "They also have the opportunity to share their experiences from across the world, offering a diversity of education [in the classroom]."

Conto said veterans have heard about the program mostly through word of mouth. There are about 400 veterans attending the UW, and only about 180 are using the waiver right now.

The undergraduate veteran tuition reduction program began with an estimated $28,000 waived in tuition and fees during the first year, according to the Office of Planning and Budgeting. For the 2006-2007 academic year, the budgeting office estimates $400,000 will be waived in tuition and fees for veterans and members of the National Guard.

Reach reporter Jenna Curry at news@thedaily.washington.edu.